The verdict’s in: I didn’t like J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace, as I began to suspect halfway or so through the book (I think I would say that it was "good," and I just didn’t "like" it, if that makes any sense).  As Gordo notes in the comments here, tribalism is a major theme in the…

The last time I read a full length book by Cynthia Ozick, it was more than thirty years ago. It was a collection of her short stories (The Pagan Rabbi ?) which had one really memorable story – the rest of the book is a blur. The story, "Yiddish In America" ended with one of…

I haven't read anything very noteworthy (or blogworthy) of late, except some of my favorite mystery writers (I might blog about them some day). Instead, I will discuss two books – both quite remarkable, which I read some time ago. They  chronicle the experiences (one current, the other from a bygone era) of two communities…

Every fledgling popular author’s dream is to make it to Oprah Winfrey’s book club roster. An endorsement by her is the sure fire guarantee that a book will land on the best sellers list. One author, Jonathan Franzen had the audacity to question Oprah’s literary sophistication and he probably lives to rue the day he…

For many readers, familiarity with south Asian writers may go only as far as the works of Salman Rushdie and perhaps a bit of V.S. Naipaul. Naipaul is West Indian by birth and British by choice and his literary output encompasses subjects far beyond the Indian subcontinent. But because of his Indian heritage and several…

My friend and fellow book lover Jan, sent me this children’s fable.   The sentiment is apt for everything else we cherish in life.

In an otherwise unrelated article by Christopher Hitchens, the erstwhile brave contrarian and now a pathetic neocon prevaricator, I came across this statement: George Galloway Is Gruesome, Not GorgeousBy Christopher Hitchens My old friend and frequent critic Geoffrey Wheatcroft once tried to define a moment of perfect contentment and came up with the idea of…